Church Courts

An ecclesiastical court (also called "Court Christian" or "Court Spiritual") is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states. They were experts in interpreting Canon law, a basis of which was the Corpus Juris Civilis of Justinian which is considered the source of the civil law legal tradition.
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Courts introduced into England after the Norman Conquest dealing with certain offenses: heresy, divorce, sexual immorality, disputes over wills, and other cases touching 'disputes over the human soul.' Generally these courts were held under the auspices of a bishop or archdeacon, sometimes under an archbishop or pope. Anyone who could prove the 'benefit of the clergy' came under their jurisdiction. While trying to limit the power of Church courts Henry II incurred the opposition of Thomas Beckett, leading to the events that caused Henry to have him killed.